Photo by Rick EpsteinFlemington police want motorists to help make sure kids can get to and from school safely.

FLEMINGTON — Usually, police hand out warnings to drivers as a way to give them a break after they've violated the law.

But in preparation for tomorrow's clamp-down on drivers who don't yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, a borough police officer was stopping traffic on Main Street this morning, Sept. 24, and handing each driver a warning notice - whether they yielded to a pedestrian or not.

He said warnings are being issued today, but tickets will be issued tomorrow.

The notices being handed out say a violator of this law may be subject to two points on his or her driver’s license, a $200 fine plus court costs, 15 days’ community service and insurance surcharges.

Jerry Jaremenko, owner of Kries Jewelers, has been a Main Street merchant for almost 27 years. He feels strongly about the responsibility shared by motorists and pedestrians and was the first to sponsor one of the standup, middle-of-the-street signs that tell motorists to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.

In his opinion, Main Street drivers are not good about stopping for pedestrians, and he agrees they need educating.

However, jaywalking is rife, too, he says. He is especially appalled at “parents with young kids who set a bad example by jaywalking,” crossing the street outside of crosswalks. “It’s very dangerous,” he said.

Like Jaremenko the notice, which the police officer was handing out, points to the other side of the street-safety equation: “The law is clear, pedestrians must obey pedestrian signals and use crosswalks at signalized intersections. Both carry a $54 fine for failure to observe the law.”